When Malware Changed Its Mind - How Split Personalities Affect Malware Analysis and Detection

Explore a groundbreaking study on malware behavior variability in this 21-minute conference talk from USENIX Enigma 2023. Delve into the first large-scale analysis of malware samples that exhibit "split personalities," changing their behavior across different hosts and time periods. Learn how this phenomenon impacts current malware analysis and detection techniques, based on data collected from 5.6 million hosts worldwide. Gain unique insights into the security industry's potential for ethically monitoring malware behavior at scale on real hosts. Presented by Tudor Dumitras from the University of Maryland, College Park, this talk highlights the importance of understanding evolving malware tactics and their implications for cybersecurity.